PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 231 



Children would not damage and kill the wild flower plants if they were 

 properly impressed by those having them in charge, that carelessly pull- 

 ing a flower dislodges or exposes the root, and often destroys the whole 

 plant; that there is danger that the bloodroot, dutchman's breeches, ferns, 

 water lilies, and many others of our beautiful native plants will become 

 extinct from such conduct; that the butterfly weed, which blooms so bril- 

 liantly in August, is in 'peril from the fact that, unlike other members of 

 the milkweed family, it is much pleasanter to pick than the more juicy 

 kinds; and that the loss of a single flower often prevents the sowing of 

 hundreds of others, as in the case of the columbine which is so easily de- 

 stroyed by heedless picking, because it is one of the variety of plants 

 which must distribute many seeds to insure continuing propagation. If 

 such facts were brought to the attention of the children and grown-ups, 

 they would soon learn to consider the flowers and would enjoy them more 

 by the exercise of a little intelligent denial than by all the careless pick- 

 ing and slaughter without any object in view, and a sense of love, tender- 

 ness, and responsibility for their protection would be developed. The 

 appeal must be made to save the beautiful plant life that providence has 

 placed about us to brighten and give variety and inspiration to human 

 existence; to inculcate a feeling of reverence for the beautiful things in 

 nature because of the pleasure they give and their reflex influence on the 

 finer human sensibilities ; and the desolation of life if we had to do with- 

 out the presence and lovely fellowship of plant life. 



"If I do not pick the flowers some one else will," i!s a common expres- 

 sion. That, in a measure, is probably true. But by refraining yourself, 

 and striving to teach others likewise, you will at least have done your 

 part toward giving the plant a chance to> live and produce seed, and do 

 its work in the world. The failure then will not be yours. 



As the destructive spirit involved in careless picking is the prevailing 

 cause for the increasing scarcity of many plants, the manifest need for 

 the preservation of wild plant life, as in other lines of similar work, is 

 education the development of favorable public opinion. Children are 

 especially susceptible to such instruction, and they might be reached 

 through the public schools. Arbor day has had a wide and wholesome in- 

 fluence in awakening the American people to the necessity of conserving 

 our forests. 



The observance of Arbor day affords an excellent opportunity to arouse 

 in children a desire to know more about the trees, flowers and animals 

 to take care of them and to care more about them. The spirit and work 

 of Arbor day should not be limited to a single day annually; it should be 

 carried through the year. To continue the interest and instruction every 

 school should have its garden. Even if the school ground is so small that 

 most of it be used for playground purposes, still a corner may be found 

 somewhere for a wild flower bed. The boundaries may be outlined by 

 hedges made. of native shrubs. The care and growth of the flowers will 

 furnish many an interesting and inspiring lesson. The country school 

 groundis, of course, present greater opportunities, and unlimited pos- 

 sibilities along this line will be afforded by the coming community rural 

 school, if only proper provision is made for the work in laying out the 

 school groundis. By thus fostering the love of nature and natural beauty, 



